Recipe 33 - Sweet Agave Easter "Vham".

So, let's talk about this for a moment.   For some reason everyone wants to run to that said 'honey'd ham' store and buy themselves pounds full of this
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That used to look like this:

Until it was reduced to this (and other horrifying images I'll make us do without):

To make the gluttonous stuff we call 'ham' from it's backside.
People, it's a cold cold world.

But guess what?   It doesn't have to be!!!

Let's step back in time, shall we?  To Easter 2011 at the Hoffman estate - (aka ex girlfriend's family) and see just how well-recieved a VEGAN easter ham was!

Let's start with the numbers on this baby:


Original Honey'd Ham                                         Sweet Agave Easter Vham
    Per Serving                                                            Per Serving
Calories 125                                                                       90
Total Fat 5.0 g                                                                     0
Cholesterol 55mg                                                                 0
Sodium 1020mg                                                                 400
Total Carbohydrate 2g                                                           5
Dietary Fiber 0 g                                                                  1
Protein         18g                                                                 16
WWpts -   3                                                                         3

So in the WW world these two match.  Let's see how well the cruetly free ham matches up to it's evil counterpart.  (yeah I said evil).

I started with everyone's favorite - the prep of the seitan, which is the 'meat' of the 'ham'.   This is actually quite easy.. it's when you have to pull it apart to make it look like a burger is when it's a pain in the 'ham'.
(I even made crosswise marks on it!)

Once that was prepared, I simmered a yummy blend of tomatoes and spices in a pot and put that pretty non piggie into it and let it simmer - for quite some time.   Seitan takes to flavor much easier when it's boiling in the flavor rather than just soaking.

When it was time to take it out - i let it dry and concocted my sweet agave mix to drizzle on top of it to harden and crystallize (not as much) but much like honey would do in air.



Voila, finished 'ham'.

And it's good cold and hot!
So - now you know I liked it... but it was a little harder to convince the Hoffmans that they wanted some.  (why are you meat eaters so hard to convince?)

I had two victims, plus two,  (that makes four - thank you for learning me on counting, preschool).   Three were not extremely willing, but took a bite and were pleasantly surprised.  (These were avid meat eaters - the type that say to a vegan "well, where do you get your protien?!!")   The 'plus one' was the ex.. and she's not really one to mince words if she doesn't like things (she doesn't like alot of things - one of those things was me.) But she actually liked this.   I gave her the leftovers - it was gone in a week thanks to her and her step momma.

So, I like to consider this veganization (although a year old) a successful one, and one that warrants doing again for a holiday - or heck, just if you're craving a ham sandwich!

I saved a piggie!
Maybe several..
may all of your days consist of saving piggies too!
cuz - look:

                                                            OMG!


Ok, next week I'm back in the kitchen. 
Dippin
Dippin
Diiiipppin for the cause.



Music enjoyed while cooking:
(I'm sure it was subsonic 58k)

Current Craving:
A warm curling buddy


Current Motivation:
Saving piggies, one meal at a time!